A group of housewives in south Mumbai have embarked upon an ambitious initiative to help save the environment by collecting e-waste and handing it over to authorised recyclers as per the new norms laid down by the government. Though the initiative is currently restricted to the Nepean Sea Road and Walkeshwar areas, the housewives are confident of spreading awareness in neighbouring localities too.
Nipa Ranka, a resident of Nepean Sea Road, who has been at the forefront of the initiative of collecting and disposing off e-waste, said it is the responsibility of every citizen to take care of the environment by safeguarding it and not harming it. “The e-waste that we are collecting includes electronic appliances like televisions, sound systems, domestic appliances, computers and other peripherals that are discarded by households, both in our buildings and adjoining buildings,” said Ms Ranka.
Apart from collecting and handing over the collected e-waste to a licensed and authorised recycler, Ms Ranka has also been instrumental in educating, empowering and encouraging the housewives on the issue of environmental protection.
Gaurav Mardia from E-Incarnation Recycling who has been appointed to dispose off e-waste said, “I was contacted by the group and they have taken it upon themselves to collect the e-waste and store it till a substantial quantity is gathered, after which, they will hand it over to me,” said Mr Mardia.
According to statistics, Maharashtra ranks number one in e-waste generation at 20,270.6 tonnes per year, whereas the overall e-waste generated in India amounts to 1,46,180 tonnes per year. As the result, the state government has issued norms for disposing it off only through authorised recyclers.